1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a production system of electrolyzed water, which comprises an electrolyzer wherein acid water and alkaline water are produced by electrolysis of water or brine in a pair of electrode chambers subdivided by a cation permeable partition membrane. More particularly, the present invention relates to a production system of electrolyzed water in which both the alkaline water and acid water are simultaneously discharged or either one of the alkaline water or acid water is discharged for use in an appropriate manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional production system of electrolyzed water, the electrolyzer is continuously supplied with the water or brine through a water supply conduit and discharges the alkaline water and acid water therefrom through discharge conduits respectively connected to the electrode chambers. The discharge conduits each are provided with a manually operated faucet which is opened and closed by a user. When both the faucets of the discharge conduits are opened, both the alkaline water and acid water are simultaneously discharged through the discharge conduits. When either one of the faucets is opened, only either the alkaline water or the acid water is discharged.
In a condition where only the alkaline water or the acid water is being discharged from one of the electrode chambers, the supplied water or brine is retained in the other electrode chamber. In such an instance, an amount of gas is generated by electrolysis of the retained water or brine and is bubbled in the electrode chamber. This obstructs the flow of electric current applied to the electrode and affords bad influence to the quality of electrolyzed water. In addition, the pH of electrolyzed water becomes excessive or too small immediately after the water valve was opened to discharge the electrolyzed water. To avoid such a problem in the conventional production system, a drain valve is provided on a drain conduit bifurcated from the discharge conduit closed at its faucet to discharge therethrough useless electrolyzed water retained in the other electrode chamber. However, this results in an increase of useless consumption of treatment water relative to an amount of electrolyzed water for use.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a production system of electrolyzed water capable of avoiding the problem caused by treatment water retained in the electrode chamber and of restraining the useless consumption of the electrolyzed water described above.
According to the present invention, the object is accomplished by providing a production system of electrolyzed water which includes an electrolyzer having a pair of electrode chambers subdivided by a partition membrane and supplied with treatment water from an external water supply source to continuously electrolyze the water for producing alkaline water and acid water; a pair of discharge conduits connected to the electrode chambers and provided with a faucet at their outlet ends respectively, a pair of drain conduits respectively bifurcated from the discharge conduits at upstream of the faucets and each provided with a drain valve to be opened and closed; and a control circuit including control means for closing the drain valve of the drain conduit bifurcated from the discharge conduit opened at its faucet when either one of the faucets or both the faucets was opened; wherein the control circuit includes determination means for determining whether or not either one of the faucets was opened while the other faucet is closed so that the electrolyzed water is discharged only through the discharge conduit opened at its faucet, and drain control means for intermittently opening and closing the drain valve of the drain conduit bifurcated from the discharge conduit closed at its faucet in a condition where the electrolyzed water is discharged only through said discharge conduit.
In a practical embodiment of the present invention, the drain control means is arranged to close the drain valve of the drain conduit bifurcated from the discharge conduit closed at its faucet until a first predetermined time lapses in a condition where the electrolyzed water is discharged only through said discharge conduit, to open the drain valve for a second predetermined time when the electrolyzed water is still discharged only through said discharge conduit during the first predetermined time, to close the drain valve for the first predetermined time upon lapse of the second predetermined time and to open the drain valve for the second predetermined time.